It's possible that this really is an ideal situation for the university and the football program specifically. More prestigious, bigger budget conference with FBS peers and a ready-made destination for when the football program is ready to move up (and/or it is desperately needed to be called up by the MWC). It will hopefully help light a fire under the butts of everyone within the University and outside supporters to get the football program better situated to move up.

Cherry on top is leapfrogging Sac despite all their public posturing and lobbying.

I want an FCS natty before we get too far in front of ourselves. If we moved up it would likely be a long time before we were relevant in the national FBS post-season scene.

That said, I do expect to an effort to expand/enhance Aggie Stadium. Probably a quiet fundraising period first, which may already be happening. I think politically it will need to seek funding alternatives other than just mortgaging more student fees on. But perhaps the tortoise beats the hare, we may well see action at Aggie Stadium before Hornet Stadium. SAC12 promised that was a shovel ready project this year. Twenty days left… haven’t heard of any shovels, or even any requests for proposal.

I think this move is just the beginning. I think there will be another round of movement in the FBS that will result in new conferences. It's no secret that Stanford, Cal, USC, and UCLA are not in love with their move to the ACC and BIG. The travel across country for league games makes no sense. I think within the decade a new PAC or "California Conference" will take shape. I could see something like this:

UC Davis
Stanford
Cal
UCLA
USC
San Diego St
Fresno St
Sacramento St
San Jose St
CalPoly

Others to consider: UNLV, Reno, Oregon St,

Never happening. Cal is happy in the ACC but wants the Big 10.

I think the bigger problem is the BIG doesn't want to expand anymore because it will further dilute the pie ($). Don't forget big tv really wants to create a new FBS tier league with only 50 or so teams in it. Cal/Stanford won't make the list. USC/UCLA will be the only California teams invited. This will create a new tier system in football and where I see the California league coming about.

Re MWC needing the football program next year or in 2 or 5 years, having this existing relationship with the conference seems like it would increase the chances that this move up would be subsidized by the conference, making it a little more feasible than if we were just on our own, competing with all the other western FCS schools for a spot in the MWC when it becomes available.

We share academic reputation with like-institutions in the Big West.
The 4 other UC's and Poly.

The Air Force Academy (in my opinion) is the only institution on our level academically.....but like I said, nobody seems to care about this type of thing anymore with all the realignment. Its all about TV revenue anyway....

Academic prestige in conference affiliation is no longer a "thing." Just an interesting evolution in NCAA athletics. Pac-10 / Big Ten used to care about it a lot.

I do have to say one thing that should be noted is being in the MW we do still have membership in a conference that is mostly made up of large, research based, flagship schools, with the facilities to match, compared to some of the big west members.

large, research based, flagship schools, with the facilities to match, compared to some of the big west members. — Jdur

I'm sure their athletics budgets are larger than those in the BW. This will up our game.
Just to be clear...I'm not complaining about these MWC schools.....

yeah i do agree its def a shakeup, especially with schools and their academic reputation for those who live on the west coast

Does anyone know the MWC non-football, and football, payouts / revenue sharing?

There's not a chance in hell USC and UCLA are leaving the Big 10 unless whatever conference they move to offers a similar amount of TV money, which an all California conference wouldn't come anywhere close to doing.

Cal and Stanford might be different since it seems like their move was more out of necessity and they're not getting anywhere near the TV money that UCLA and USC are. But even then, I doubt and all-California conference would match what they get in the ACC.

Sport Details:


How We'll Pay For It (Increases):

praying for an announcement of football joining after the fcs playoffs:pray:

He told a Hawai`i reporter "Couldn't get rid of us, could you?" Given his 1-10 record at Hawai`i, I'd say the obverse is also true.

If you read the comments on the MW Instagram and Twitter announcements you get a lot of “who?” And other comments about not knowing about Davis existing.

This is EXACTLY why this move is important. We have a better chance of recognition by being in the MW than anything Big Sky or Big West. People were begging for the Dakota’s and Montanas to come up and I hope they do.

The other thing being talked about on social is that people think this is a sure fire sign that Sac is going to the PAC12. I just don’t think that is the case. Apparently their funding is contingent on them joining the pac12 so it’s not even a guarantee that those donors fork up the money for a MW pivot.

I hope their donors pivot - I would like to beat Slack in-conference in every sport. :rofl:

Sam Herder's X alludes to NDSU getting a MW invite if Northern Illinois doesn't accept.

Chancellor is definitely not announcing anything football-related until after the playoffs.

I've noticed a very different leadership style between Sac and Davis Chancellors/Athletics Departments. Davis works quietly behind the scenes, Sac shoots their load online every 3 days......

Both styles may be equally effective in the end, but interesting to watch.

Like we track the goings on at Sac, South Dakota State tracks the goings on at North Dakota State -- if the Bison move...the Jackrabbits will try to move as well.

I can see the Dakota's relying on eachother and sticking together as a means to survive. I agree, if the Bison move its kicks the other Dakotas into gear.

https://www.youtube.com/live/uwyxlMVv92Q?si=Ex3omPFO6aP__YJw

As someone who also follows Cal and understands the pulse of the fanbase, it's not happening. If Cal and Stanford have no other options, I could see them forming an all-academic west coast ivy type league but there's no way they'd be in the same conference as those CSU schools. NEVER happening.

The sad thing is that if we, Sac and the Dakota states move up then FCS is basically done. I mean the Ags have to make the right decisions for themselves but I also really like FCS football esp the playoff format. No BS.

Yeah, me too - we bump football to the Mountain West in the next 2-3 years - kiss the playoff goodbye for some time...until we're strong enough to contend. (thinking of Boise State) --- and we just started competing for the FCS Playoff in earnest in the last 6 years.

I agree that in the short term it will be rough with some not so amazing seasons, but I also think our positioning in California, with facilities which by any means should be very attractive for a d1 fbs program with renovations, i can imagine we could move to be decent somewhat quickly. I also think looking at a team like Sam Houston gives me hope. I just think its one of those things where ya need to bite the bullet at some point to get up.

I just don't think we have the proper fan support to jump so quickly - I personally hope we stay in the Big Sky for another 4-5 years until we sell out every home game.

The die have been cast. For better or worse, Davis has a potential pathway to FBS. Sac is looking for one. Should any of that come to fruition, what does this mean for Poly football? If they don’t also mount an effort, does its stock improve with a near-monopoly on California FCS or does it get out-resourced and fall apart completely?